I believe that the future will be one in which we pursue unique cultural values rooted in the land and the climate.
~ Interview: Kazuhiko Washio (Creative Producer, Hakuhodo Inc.) ~

Kazuhiko Washio is active in a wide range of fields, including strategic consulting, creative direction, and cultural project production, and is also a leading figure in Japan for Ars Electronica, the art and technology festival held in Linz, Austria.

In the first part , we asked him about things that should not be forgotten when developing a city, such as "the importance of delivering quality of life" and "culture and the city are one and the same." In the second part, we will ask about the common points between Linz and Kamiyama, and Mr. Washio's dreams. What does Mr. Washio want to achieve? We interviewed him at Kamaya, a restaurant in the Kamiyama Food Hub Project (hereafter referred to as Food Hub).
(Interviewer: Aki Tanaka)

The pursuit of monophonic value ultimately comes down to only "winning and losing"

Washio
This "Kamaya" was born precisely because of this place. I think that this will become even more important from now on. I think that's wonderful.

Hayashi
thank you.

Left: Representative Hayashi, right: Washio-san. We interviewed him at Kamaya, a restaurant run by Food Hub in Kamiyama Town.

Washio
Things that can be turned into information, in other words, things that can be obtained anywhere in the world and made in the same way anywhere, have value in their own way in terms of convenience and cheapness, but that is certainly not the only value they have. In the end, the pursuit of monophonic value boils down to "win or lose."

To put it in extreme terms, there is one winner and the rest are many. And that creates "inequality." I think many people instinctively realize that this alone is not sustainable. Perhaps there is an element of instinct behind Monosus' efforts to create a dual system by setting up a satellite office in Kamiyama Town, and to create a "food hub" that will connect Kamiyama's agriculture and food culture to the next generation, with "local production and local food" at its core. That's how I feel when I watch Hayashi.

Hayashi
I'm glad to hear you say that. However, there are still many challenges. Among the crops we grow in Kamiyama, there are some that are easy to monetize and some that are not. But there are also crops that we want to grow and crops that we should grow, and it's not just about whether they are easy to monetize. In our activities, we believe that we need "another axis" - not just economic rationality, but whether the crop is necessary to pass on our food culture.

Considering the economic aspect, Austria seems to be very bold in how it uses its budget. On this tour, the team went to a small municipality in the Alps region of Vorarlberg to hear about it, and they told us that the town hall is the center of the living area. They are spending the money to improve the town hall, so they are probably cutting down on other expenses. Apparently, in some areas, about 80% of farmers' income comes from subsidies. They are not a municipality with such an abundant budget, but they are making such decisions. I felt that their sense of balance in how they use the budget is different from Japan. I don't know if that's good or bad, though.

After carefully considering the timeline,
Cherishing our identity

Washio
When I saw that, I felt that they were not making anything unnecessary. So the scenery, the surroundings of the house, and the inside of the room all looked very neat and beautiful. I think they are really thinking about what is really needed now and what should be left for the future. When you look at city management in Europe, you see that professionals in each field, such as social welfare, urban planning, culture, industry, and the environment, are in charge before being civil servants. In many cases, they are people with doctorates. On top of that, the directors of each department have rational discussions. That is the norm.

I think there was a time when it was full of dictatorship and corruption, but I think many cities have now realized that this doesn't work. "This event may not be economically rational, but it's been going on since our grandfathers' time, so if we get rid of it, we'll lose our identity," and other such arguments are actually being made on the basis of such rational discussions. With a clear time axis, processes and portfolios are planned to derive economic effects. Of course, since it's something people do, there will be times when it doesn't work.

Hayashi
I see, that's what it means.

Washio
For example, if there is an old town hall in the central square of a town, naturally there will be many people, especially private businesses, who say, "It would be better to remove it and build a new supermarket or department store because more customers will come and we will make more money." However, on the other hand, there is also a long-term view that says, "No, having a town hall there will make the residents feel attached to the town, and ultimately the community will be stronger." In the case of Linz, the local government has made the latter idea the city's policy through a fairly strict urban planning system. But that is the job of the government.

Once memories of history and culture are divided, they cannot be recovered. They are gradually forgotten. If the city hall were to suddenly become a supermarket one day, in 10 years' time, children will have lost the memory that "the city hall used to be here." In an era when the population is already decreasing, what will happen in the long run if more and more people are cut off from the memories of the place? Won't this undermine the power of the community and the region? I think this is a very important point to discuss.

Hayashi
I guess European cities have learned from the past that it's not good to divide the memories of history and culture. The Renaissance, a movement that sought to revive the culture of ancient Greece and Rome, seems to have begun in Italy in the 14th century, but Europe had been in a dark age for about 800 years up until that point. It was a time of social unrest, with epidemics such as the plague, and it's not one that comes up much in world history textbooks. It seems that Europeans consider those 800 years to have been a kind of cultural hiatus. So when the dark ages were over, they thought they had to go back 800 years to resume their culture.

Washio
I heard that European countries have a tacit respect for Greece because of the roots of European culture, which is the revival of humanity. Although France and Germany may be considered more culturally advanced.

Hayashi
Europe may be reflecting on the cultural divide that has occurred.

Washio
I'm sure you do. That's a very interesting point. Linz was actually the hometown of Adolf Hitler, and the reason the city modernized was because the Nazis established military industries here. Since then, it has experienced a decline as a heavy industrial city, a deterioration of the living environment, and cultural damage. While declaring itself a future-oriented city with art and technology, behind the scenes it has been scientifically examining this past history and trying to face up to the negative aspects of its history.

I'm sure there was a darkness in society in Linz that we could never understand. But by looking at the darkness, we have tried to transform it into "light." After all, we must not divide history and memory. Otherwise, we would have to start all over again. It would be such a waste if we could not utilize the power of the land.

The charm of Kamiyama is its "openness"

Hayashi
This is just my own opinion, but Mr. Washio, you seem to be interested in Kamiyama... (laughs).

Washio
Of course!

Hayashi
What's the interesting part?

Washio
When I visited Kamiyama Town this spring, I participated in a town report meeting for the " Connecting Towns to Future Generations Project " (Tsunapro). To be honest, I was very moved. Kamiyama Town's revitalization strategy of "creating a situation where people can sense their potential" is amazing, but the town hall, residents, and new residents are discussing and creating the means and processes to realize the revitalization strategy. The "Food Hub Project" is one example of this. The town report meeting was also very heated. It was a sight I had never seen before. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn so much.

Hayashi
That's nice to hear.

Washio
Looking at it from that perspective, there may be a lot in common with the management of European cities that I mentioned earlier. I am also grateful to Kamiyama Town, where there are key people like Shinya Ominami of the NPO Green Valley who are attached to the place where they grew up but also have an open-minded sensibility. These people have been the breakthrough point, and there is a history of trying to introduce new ideas from outside into the town. I feel that there is an "openness" that allows them to readily accept new stimuli from the outside and find them interesting. These people know that there are more fun things to do than winning or losing.

Hayashi
Yes, I understand that very well.

Washio
I come from a small town in the Kansai region, and I'm sure Kamiyama is like that too, and I think there are many closed parts. But the pioneers have been trying to gently massage them. The idea behind the long-term environmental activities and artist-in-residence programs is not to attract tourists, but to make this town a place with more potential. That has become a culture, and I think that's what has led to Monosas building a satellite office and the Food Hub Project.

Hayashi
I think that's right.

Washio
Currently, Kamiyama Tsunagu Corporation has professional members for each theme. People who have moved here from outside are working together with local people. I think the "design philosophy" there is similar to that of the European cities I mentioned earlier. It's rational. I think Monosas has a very important role to play. I'm really looking forward to the work that will come next.

"I want to work here because of the quality of life here."
That is an honest feeling

Washio
I would like to see more and more towns like this. Otherwise, I would feel a little frustrated, especially towards Europe.

Hayashi
regrettable?

Washio
Yes, it's frustrating. I think the quality of life is high. Neither Linz nor the Austrian countryside is particularly luxurious or anything like that. There's no waste, it's polite, and the basic specifications needed to live are high. I also think it's great that young people say, "I want to work here because of the quality of life here." I think that's a very honest voice.

In the case of Linz, in addition to the high quality of basic everyday specifications, they gained the ability to access cutting-edge knowledge from around the world through the tool of an art festival. People from all over the world are coming all the way to a regional city in Austria. I wonder how Japan can get this back. Originally, Japan was that kind of country more than anywhere else in the world.

Hayashi
What do you want to do in the future?

Washio
From now on, things will be completely different from the past 50 years. The population will decrease. If we continue with things the way they have been, the gap will widen, which means society will be divided. I think this is a very serious issue. I will repeat this because it is important, but I think it will depend on how courageous we are to take a step in the direction of pursuing unique values and cultural values rooted in the land and climate.

It's "terroir," exactly. And in towns, businesses, and anywhere there are people working, there is bound to be some kind of "terroir." I'd like to work with people who are trying to move in that direction. I'd like to help those courageous people grow their dreams together, saying things like, "This is a wonderful place," or, "Why don't you try this?" I hope I can be of help to those courageous people, even if it's just one or two things.

Hayashi
Finally, if you have any personal plans, I’d love to hear about them.

Washio
I have small daughters. I wonder what the world will be like when they grow up. I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I want to tell them all the things I've seen and heard so far. I want to tell them all the interesting stories. I don't know if it's a "school" or a town development, but I have a dream of creating a "place" like that someday.

To Washio-san

For Washio, Linz has always been something he is inexplicably drawn to.
And after touring Linz with Washio-san, Ars Electronica became something that I was inexplicably drawn to.

As we traveled, we discussed why we were attracted to each other.
Linz and Kamiyama are cities of completely different countries, cultures, and sizes, but
I feel like Washio-san and I are attracted to something in common.
I now want to hear Mr. Washio's story in detail.

And as I actually listened to the story,
Gradually, I began to want to ask Mr. Washio what he wanted to do in the future.
"I'm guessing even Washio-san doesn't have the answer to this one."
With that in mind, I decided to ask at the end of the interview.

Listening to Mr. Washio's deep insight into Linz,
I have always felt a sense of heat that goes beyond objective analysis.
As this process continues, you may wonder, "Where is this heat going?"
At the same time, I began to become interested in the following:

Of course, I have the irresponsible hope that they will head to Kamiyama (laughs).

It was in 2012 that I felt an indescribable attraction to Kamiyama and began visiting it.
Six years have passed since then, and many situations are emerging that were unimaginable back then.
However, this situation exists only because of the field called Kamiyama.

Linz and Ars Electronica are of course just one of your fields, Mr. Washio.
"What will Washio do when he finds himself in a field that is more familiar to him?"
Just imagining this, I'm starting to get excited.

I look forward to hearing more about Mr. Washio's passion in Tokyo, Kamiyama and Linz.
I would love to spend some fun time together with you, exploring the possibilities of what we can do together.

When it gets warmer again, please come and visit Kamiyama with your family.

Takahiro Hayashi